The #2 middleweight all time

Hendo, Belfort, Machida, Mousasi, Rockhold, and others all had so many big wins at 205 that you can't really count when discussion the best MW ever, which confuses things.

I believe it's very clearly Anderson, and then Izzy.

#3 might be... Bisping? Or Weidman. But I kind of lean towards Bisping. He had a lot of MW wins.
 
Israel is #2 and it's not that close. I think #3 is the tougher pick. An unpopular opinion but I'd probably have Mousasi at #3 ahead of Weidman, Mousasi literally has three times the career wins of Weidman.

I think longevity isn't respected enough and too much emphasis is put on being in the UFC and title defenses. Win streaks use to be considered high criteria for rankings, now it's all over who has wins over names in the UFC. Weidmans career comes down to maybe 5 or 6 fights, with a legendary win over Anderson and competitive bouts with Vitor and Machida, other than that he's had less than a handful of wins over notable contenders like Munoz, Maia and Uriah.

Mousasi is much more established p4p having success from MW to HW and capturing and defending belts in two orgs, he has far more names on his resume, even just in the MW division Souza, Machida, Vitor, Weidman, Kang, Munoz, Vitor, Schlemenko, Lima and Hendo.

Whilst at their peak I'd consider Weidman the better fighter, considering how Weidmans body has held up, I can't see that he would have the same success.
 
CrimsonFan said:
Hendo, Belfort, Machida, Mousasi, Rockhold, and others all had so many big wins at 205 that you can't really count when discussion the best MW ever, which confuses things.

I believe it's very clearly Anderson, and then Izzy.

#3 might be... Bisping? Or Weidman. But I kind of lean towards Bisping. He had a lot of MW wins.
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Belfort and Machida are 205ers (Belfort naturally, Machida by his own choice, he should have been fighting at MW the whole time but wanted to be champ and wouldn't fight Anderson). Mousasi and Rockhold are definitely 185ers, Mousasi hasn't fought at LHW since Dream in 2011 if I'm not mistaken, Rockhold went up to 205, got KTFO, and immediately went back down to MW.
cheesus said:
Israel is #2 and it's not that close. I think #3 is the tougher pick. An unpopular opinion but I'd probably have Mousasi at #3 ahead of Weidman, Mousasi literally has three times the career wins of Weidman.

I think longevity isn't respected enough and too much emphasis is put on being in the UFC and title defenses. Win streaks use to be considered high criteria for rankings, now it's all over who has wins over names in the UFC. Weidmans career comes down to maybe 5 or 6 fights, with a legendary win over Anderson and competitive bouts with Vitor and Machida, other than that he's had less than a handful of wins over notable contenders like Munoz, Maia and Uriah.

Mousasi is much more established p4p having success from MW to HW and capturing and defending belts in two orgs, he has far more names on his resume, even just in the MW division Souza, Machida, Vitor, Weidman, Kang, Munoz, Vitor, Schlemenko, Lima and Hendo.

Whilst at their peak I'd consider Weidman the better fighter, considering how Weidmans body has held up, I can't see that he would have the same success.
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Mousasi has had a hell of a career and is the clear #3, Weidman's skid came way too soon after he beat Anderson and the ghost of Vitor, so he's #4 for me maximum. The Lyoto win was very good, then Rockhold smashed him and I honestly thought Romero ended his career with that flying knee. I'm kind of hoping Chris retires and coaches or something, I think his chin was already gone, and that leg break was nasty, fighters don't come back the same as we've seen.
 
WoozyFailGuy said:
Belfort and Machida are 205ers (Belfort naturally, Machida by his own choice, he should have been fighting at MW the whole time but wanted to be champ and wouldn't fight Anderson). Mousasi and Rockhold are definitely 185ers, Mousasi hasn't fought at LHW since Dream in 2011 if I'm not mistaken, Rockhold went up to 205, got KTFO, and immediately went back down to MW.

Mousasi has had a hell of a career and is the clear #3, Weidman's skid came way too soon after he beat Anderson and the ghost of Vitor.
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Both Mousasi and Rockhold won the LHW championship in strike force and defended it and we're ranked top 10 LHWs before even coming to the UFC. Mousasi defended that belt like 3 times I think
 
definitely izzy. he’ll never be as dominant as anderson was in his prime and that’s okay.
 
KAZSoliloquy said:
definitely izzy. he’ll never be as dominant as anderson was in his prime and that’s okay.
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Anderson never fought anyone of the calibre of Rob Whitaker (let alone Periera) and thats ok

Also apparently its ok to piss hot for multiple substances multiple times
 
According to his topology fight record. Dan Henderson is 8-6 at fights contested at middleweight (I’m including the ones from Pride fought at 183). Dan is 4-4 in the UFC middle weight division. Granted I may have miscounted a bout or two, but that is not the record of someone considered to be second best of all time at a given weight class. Not bashing the guy, he is a tough as nails fighter who delivered some incredible performances. I’m simply arguing that all the success Dan had outside of 185 really shouldn’t be a factor when ranking him on a greatest middleweight of all time list.
 
Based on accomplishments no doubt Izzy. In terms of skills? There were a lot of MW who fit this category. Rockhold, Weidman, Gregard, rich Franklin, Hendo
 
stacrafty said:
Anderson never fought anyone of the calibre of Rob Whitaker (let alone Periera) and thats ok

Also apparently its ok to piss hot for multiple substances multiple times
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he beat prime dan henderson (better than whittaker), with the addition of prime demian maia, prime nate marquardt, prime yushin okami, prime rich franklin, and prime vitor belfort.
 
I AM ERROR said:
According to his topology fight record. Dan Henderson is 8-6 at fights contested at middleweight (I’m including the ones from Pride fought at 183). Dan is 4-4 in the UFC middle weight division. Granted I may have miscounted a bout or two, but that is not the record of someone considered to be second best of all time at a given weight class. Not bashing the guy, he is a tough as nails fighter who delivered some incredible performances. I’m simply arguing that all the success Dan had outside of 185 really shouldn’t be a factor when ranking him on a greatest middleweight of all time list.
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5 of those fights where he went 2-3 came way after his prime & fallout of the 205 pound division. dan at his best was 2-1 in the ufc MW division post-pride with additional wins against newton & goes back in the day bringing his UFC MW record to 4-1 before he left for strikeforce and hit 40
 
KAZSoliloquy said:
he beat prime dan henderson (better than whittaker), with the addition of prime demian maia, prime nate marquardt, prime yushin okami, prime rich franklin, and prime vitor belfort.
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hahah, listing a bunch of slightly above average fighters and putting "prime" next to their names doesn't make them good

Hendo was great but not on the same level as Whitakker - in my opinion.

He came close to being in title contention but was stopped by various people, Rob has always been in title contention, just can't get past Izzy.

Robs been in the top 3 at MW the last 6 years, usually at 1 or 2.
Hendo touched on top 3 at various times in his career, but not even close to being in there for 6 years

Rob - all time number 5 - https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Robert+Whittaker/45036/
Dan (as much as I love him the "heart and mind overcome all" t-shirt was the first MMA t-shirt I got over a decade ago) - hes number 10

Now obv that site is not the be all and end all, but it is one reference
https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Dan+Henderson/193/

I think Rob is better at MW, Dan however has had more success in multiple weight divisions and in different eras... but this doesn't make him better at MW
 
stacrafty said:
hahah, listing a bunch of slightly above average fighters and putting "prime" next to their names doesn't make them good

Hendo was great but not on the same level as Whitakker - in my opinion.

He came close to being in title contention but was stopped by various people, Rob has always been in title contention, just can't get past Izzy.

Robs been in the top 3 at MW the last 6 years, usually at 1 or 2.
Hendo touched on top 3 at various times in his career, but not even close to being in there for 6 years

Rob - all time number 5 - https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Robert+Whittaker/45036/
Dan (as much as I love him the "heart and mind overcome all" t-shirt was the first MMA t-shirt I got over a decade ago) - hes number 10

Now obv that site is not the be all and end all, but it is one reference
https://www.fightmatrix.com/fighter-profile/Dan+Henderson/193/

I think Rob is better at MW, Dan however has had more success in multiple weight divisions and in different eras... but this doesn't make him better at MW
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lol him going up to LHW & HW and beating some of the greatest fighters of all time (many of them natural MW’s) just doesn’t mean anything because it didn’t happen at 185. okay bro.

dan also beat world champions at 185, whittaker hasnt.
 
Khamzat will make change the answer to Anderson is the second best MW in a couple of years*



* if ufc let’s him smesh everybody. He’s way too inactive at the moment
 
KAZSoliloquy said:
lol him going up to LHW & HW and beating some of the greatest fighters of all time (many of them natural MW’s) just doesn’t mean anything because it didn’t happen at 185. okay bro.

dan also beat world champions at 185, whittaker hasnt.
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Come on man Izzy went up too and beat geriatric Jan.
 
cheesus said:
Israel is #2 and it's not that close. I think #3 is the tougher pick. An unpopular opinion but I'd probably have Mousasi at #3 ahead of Weidman, Mousasi literally has three times the career wins of Weidman.

I think longevity isn't respected enough and too much emphasis is put on being in the UFC and title defenses. Win streaks use to be considered high criteria for rankings, now it's all over who has wins over names in the UFC. Weidmans career comes down to maybe 5 or 6 fights, with a legendary win over Anderson and competitive bouts with Vitor and Machida, other than that he's had less than a handful of wins over notable contenders like Munoz, Maia and Uriah.

Mousasi is much more established p4p having success from MW to HW and capturing and defending belts in two orgs, he has far more names on his resume, even just in the MW division Souza, Machida, Vitor, Weidman, Kang, Munoz, Vitor, Schlemenko, Lima and Hendo.

Whilst at their peak I'd consider Weidman the better fighter, considering how Weidmans body has held up, I can't see that he would have the same success.
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Idk how Izzy isn't the obvious #2. People saying Hendo must be considering his entire career and not just MW. But you can't really count those wins in other divisions if speaking from just a divisional standpoint.

My thing with Mousasi is that he never held a #1 ranking at MW. I know for sure he was top 10 for a long time and I'd imagine probably top 5 for a long time too but imo it's difficult to have him over guys that at least reached the highest peak and then maintained a top 10 or so ranking for a long time. I get what you're saying with Mousasi and I do agree longevity and ranked wins over a long period of time is big but he just never really had a period of dominance or near dominance that I feel several other fighters had. He did get kind of unlucky wiht some of his fights but it is what it is. Personally idk where I'd put Mousasi, probably somewhere in the 4-6 range maybe. I'd have Anderson, Izzy, and I think Whittaker above him for sure. Weidman, Rockhold, and a few others maybe as well. But idk, Mousasi resume is very impressive.
 
KAZSoliloquy said:
lol him going up to LHW & HW and beating some of the greatest fighters of all time (many of them natural MW’s) just doesn’t mean anything because it didn’t happen at 185. okay bro.

dan also beat world champions at 185, whittaker hasnt.
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You're not the smartest tool in the shed are you?

Once again a keyboard warrior citing accolades rather than actual facts. Your own dumb logic if Dan is all that successful in multiple weight divisions why has he barely been in the top 3 at middle weight? Robs been there often at 1 or 2 the last 6 years - including being champ.

You probably think Alex is the better kickboxer cause he has the accolade of "2x glory champ" when in reality he just got smoked in a kickboxing fight in a cage... and the only times he wins before that's is the refs charity + a bell.

Just the levels of nonsensical garbage is hilarious. If it meant something (in theory) to go up to LHW and HW and get great wins.. then why the hell does he not have the actual achievements at MW? He touched top 3 in the division for brief periods never the champ....

Rob has been top 3 the last 6 years including being champ

The levels of garbage... Jesus christ. You quote stuff that yes *should* correlate to greatness.... but in reality it didn't turn out that way
 
1. Silva
2. Izzy
3. Mousasi

Sure Mousasi never became UFC champ but name another MW with more wins over previous/future world title holders.
 
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